Washington, D.C. Court-Based Advocacy Program Finds Hope in HopeDigits.

WEST DESMOINES, Iowa -- The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCC) announced it has become a sponsoring organization of HopeDigits.org. HopeDigits, a telecommunications service provided by FreeDigits.com to support individuals in crisis, is being implemented by DCC to aid victims of domestic violence in the court system.

HopeDigits lets DCC advocates communicate with clients who may be living in a shelter and without a phone, and provides phone services utilizing FreeDigits.com VoIP technology. Each user gets a private phone number with voicemail and call forwarding to keep lines of emotional support open.

"We have clients who are homeless or without a phone. We lose track of them during their court process and have no way to contact them," said Julie Huh, DCC Advocate. "HopeDigits helps us communicate with clients and gives them another tool to use during this difficult time in their lives."

HopeDigits provides those in a crisis situation the same phone service as the rest of the population, but at no cost. Court systems, homeless shelters and women's organizations sponsor HopeDigits. The online sign-up process takes less than 3 minutes. Phone number, voicemail and call forwarding are immediately available.

"Free phone numbers provide victims additional safety because Caller ID doesn't reveal the location," says Kha Phan, FreeDigits.com CEO. "People can call and leave messages, which are stored in private voicemail boxes. Users can go to any phone anywhere, and access their messages. They can also forward calls to a cell or landline phone, so they never have to give out those numbers. If they can get online, they can make and receive calls from the Internet."

Like other services that FreeDigits.com offers, HopeDigits relies on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which enables telephone calls to travel cheaply over the Internet. FreeDigits.com's proprietary software allows customized applications to be created that focus on specific consumer needs.

"Our goal is that HopeDigits users will be able to put their lives back together and eventually become customers for our other services," Phan says. "That would be a happy outcome for everyone."

FreeDigits, LLC, a privately-owned company headquartered in West DesMoines, Iowa, was launched in January 2005. Its mission is to deliver life-enhancing communication services to individuals and small businesses around the world.